Teeth for a Lifetime
By Charles E. Warlick, Jr.,
D.D.S.
Everyone wanting to keep his/her teeth for a lifetime must take steps to prevent or eliminate gum disease. Gum disease is caused by bacteria and in that sense can be likened to termites in a house. Because your house LOOKS okay on the outside, you see no need to spend money on a termite inspection. What you cannot see is that termites are actively destroying your home creating a huge FUTURE repair bill. Just as with exterminators, your money spent today on dental prevention will save hundreds of dollars on future dental repair.
Your teeth are embedded in
holes in the jawbone known as sockets. A
special periodontal ligament attaches the root of the tooth to the bone. Your gums lie on top of this bone/ligament
substructure and in the healthy state fit snugly around the tooth.
Periodontal diseases concern
the tissues supporting the teeth. The
process works like this: Bacteria are
constantly living in your mouth. They coat
your teeth, as well as your gums, cheeks, and tongue, forming a sticky
substance called plaque. Even careful
brushing and flossing do not remove all these bacteria. Some of them creep into the crevices between
your teeth and gums and become even harder to reach. The most toxic bacteria flourish best under
the gums.
These bacteria give off
waste products called toxins which trigger a response from your immune
system. Your body produces enzymes to
neutralize these toxins, but these enzymes also cause a breakdown of
periodontal tissues. As this process
repeats itself, the periodontal membrane is broken and then reattaches itself
further down the root of your tooth.
Pockets begin to form between your gums and teeth, making bacteria
living in them even harder to reach. It
is your immune system response that causes inflammation in gum tissue. In its early stage the disease is called
gingivitis which is marked by soreness, bleeding, or puffiness.
As the condition worsens it
damages all the periodontal tissues supporting the teeth. This latter stage is called
periodontosis. As the pockets between
the gums and teeth become deeper there is advanced bone loss. Teeth loosen and fall out or have to be
extracted due to pain.
What makes gum disease so serious, and the reason so many dentists recommend frequent checkups, is that people often are unaware that disease is forming in their mouth. Some signs of gum disease are plaque and tartar build-up, receding gums, bleeding gums, red/tender gums, persistent bad breath, pus between teeth and gums, gums that have pulled away from the teeth, or loose teeth. Even if you are not having any of these symptoms, you are encouraged to have a dental check-up every six months. The good news is that there is a non-surgical treatment of gum disease which can be administered at home.
Few people realize that
infection in the gums can reach other parts of the body via the
bloodstream. Many diseases such as
peptic ulcers and some forms of heart disease have been traced to mouth
bacteria. In an article in the November,
2001, issue of Dentistry Today, Dr. Louis Rose, DDS, MD, of
Dr. Warlick has been
practicing dentistry in Wimberley since 1979.
He practices dentistry at the
C: Hill Country News – Teeth
for a Lifetime